The news comes as a relief to customers in the village after RBS closed their local branch on November 11 last year.

Locals had been up in arms over the plans as it left them without the ability to have face-to-face chats about their finances on their doorsteps.

A petition was launched by village Councillor Andy Doig and it was later revealed the bank had plans to bring in a new mobile service.

Doig, the Independent Elected Member for Johnstone North, Kilbarchan, and Lochwinnoch Ward, has now welcomed confirmation by the Royal Bank of Scotland that they will begin their mobile RBS service to Lochwinnoch on October 29.

The mobile unit will also be serving North Ayrshire and Kilmacolm as well as Lochwinnoch.

Cllr Doig said: “At the request of Lochwinnoch Elderly Forum, I contacted the Royal Bank of Scotland to get exact details about the mobile van launch and I was delighted that they confirmed that it has to start on October 29, and it will be in Lochwinnoch on a Monday from 11.50am to 12.30pm, and on a Friday from 11.35am to 12.15pm. This will be reviewed quarterly to see if it is providing best value.” The former SNP depute leader had previously slammed RBS for breaking a promise to their customers and not honouring assurances that they would never close a branch if it were the last banking outlet in a community.

But he welcomed the fact that RBS took local residents’ views on board and said he is ‘delighted’ that the new service will begin at the end of the month.

“At the end of last summer RBS suddenly announced the closure of the much loved RBS branch in the village, which was so important to small businesses and especially to pensioners,” Cllr Doig continued. “This was opposed tooth and nail and I organised a petition against closure which attracted thousands of signatures, and the Lochwinnoch Community Council and myself met with RBS management in Kilbirnie to express our fears at the loss of a key asset for the village.

“During that meeting I put the case for a mobile RBS van and it was mentioned at Lochwinnoch Elderly Forum in January this year that this was being considered. Over the last six months I have been pressing RBS management to come to a decision on this and I am delighted that it has been a positive one, and that the mobile RBS van will start to serve Lochwinnoch soon.

“Single parents, those without a car, and pensioners, to name only three groups were disproportionately disadvantaged and marginalised by the loss of the RBS branch, so I am delighted that at least a mobile service will be put in place to make life easier for my constituents. It proves that often jaw jaw is better than war war.”